CHENEY, Wash. — Week three of the 2025 season is here and Eastern Washington is poised to finish the road trip strong. EWU travels to play Northern Iowa on Saturday, Sep. 13, with kickoff at 2 p.m. Pacific Time and 4 p.m. Central.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and can be listened to live on 700 ESPN and the Varsity Network App with voices of the Eagles, Larry Weir and Paul Sorensen.
Last Time Out
Eastern Washington had an FBS matchup this past weekend against 2025 College Football Playoff qualifier, Boise State. The Broncos controlled the game from start-to-finish, winning 51-14 over the Eagles. The Broncos scored a touchdown 1:10 into the game and built a 20-0 after the first quarter. Jared Taylor organized a long 72-yard drive to score EWU's first touchdown of the game-a 5-yard carry from Taylor. Boise St. responded with another touchdown and added on a late field goal to hold a 30-7 advantage at halftime. The game settled down in the 3rd quarter, but Boise added another touchdown to build a 30-point lead. EWU found the endzone again in the 4th on a Nate Bell TD run, but the Broncos scored two touchdowns in the fourth to add to the home win.Boise St. finished with 637 yards of total offense, while the Eagles were limited to 293. EWU had 117 yards on the ground and 176 through the air. The Broncos put up 328 passing and 309 rushing.
Facing the Panthers
Eastern Washington and Northern Iowa have met 8 times in history, with the Panthers holding a 6-2 advantage in the series. The Eagles are 2-0 in home matchups, but 0-6 on the road. The two teams have met 3 times in the FCS playoffs, with UNI carrying a 2-1 advantage in postseason games. Eastern has won the last 2 matchups, with the most recent occurring in the first round of the 2021 playoffs. Eric Barriere led the team to a 19-9 win, throwing for 283 yards and 1 touchdown, adding 1 on the ground. Barriere's TD pass was to Nolan Ulm for the then-freshman's first career score. Current Eagle running back coach Tamarick Pierce was the Eagles' leading rusher in the game, carrying 9 times for 49 yards.
Blocking Fever
The Eagles have blocked 2 kicks so far this season, with Isaiah Perez blocking a field goal against Incarnate Word and Jirah Leaupepetele blocking an extra point against Boise State. Perez's blocked field goal in week 1 is Eastern's first blocked kick since the 2023 season against Montana State (11/11). Against the Bobcats DeMarcus Johnson and DaJean Wells each blocked an extra point. EWU is tied for the FCS lead in blocked kicks with 8 other programs.
First Time Scorer
Nate Bell stepped onto the Blue Turf to take over at quarterback after Jared Taylor was injured. Bell completed 5-of-9(55.6%) passes for 74 yards and 1 interceptions. The redshirt-sophomore also carried the ball 9 times for 36 yards - 4.0 per carry - and scored his first career touchdown on a 2-yard rush. Bell delivered a 49-yard pass to Noah Cronquist to set up the EWU touchdown. Now in his third season on the Red, Bell has appeared in 5 games and has rushed for 90 career yards.
Facing Revenge on the Road
Eastern Washington will play its 3rd consecutive road game against an opponent that is coming off a road loss the previous week. Northern Iowa fell to Wyoming in Laramie last week, 31-7, Boise State lost to South Florida, 34-7, prior to last week and Incarnate Word lost in Week 0 to Nicolls, 20-6.
Tackling for Career-Bests
Ambrose Marsh continued to impress in the secondary for the Eagles, setting a new career-best with 6 tackles against the Broncos in week 2.
Bryce Smith and
Read Sunn also set new career-bests against Boise State, each tallying 5 tackles. Redshirt-freshman
Kevin Allen III and
Boden Gardner each recorded their first career tackle.
Carter-Line Tackle
Leading the defense from the strong safety spot, Drew Carter has been the main enforcer for the Eagle defense. Carter leads the Eastern defense with 20 tackles, making 12 solo. His solo tackle figure ranks 4th in the Big Sky and 17th in the FCS. With 10.0 tackles per game, Carter is 6th in the conference and 22nd in the nation. He also grabbed his first career fumble recovery against Incarnate Word. Now in his 4th season in Cheney, Carter has played in 27 games and is credited with 59 total tackles, 38 solo.
2025 EWU football tickets are now on sale! Join Spokane County's team for all five home games at Roos Field in Cheney starting as low as $99. Group tickets, fundraising options and single game tickets are also available. For more info, visit goeags.com/fbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access, and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
